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Cops: Better service with improved salary

The Police Service Social and Welfare Association yesterday assured that if its requests are met the country will have a better working Police Service. Speaking at a press conference at the association’s office at Besson Street Police Station its president, Inspector Anand Ramesar, said the country would “most definitely” receive better service adding: “The association can basically guarantee that.” The association is asking that salary negotiations begin, the issue of promotions is adequately dealt with and that compensation for extra duty is upgraded to the current rate. Ramesar added that police should be treated as professionals when it came to their salaries.

He said the association had looked at the new skills and knowledge a police officer now needed and many of them had degrees so they should be seen as professionals. Asked if the association was seeking to amend the qualifications to gain entry into the service, Ramesar said no, adding that they are not asking for the qualifications to be increased as some who have basic qualifications are very good police officers. He added that there was a gap between degree-holding officers and those with the basic qualifications and that should be dealt with in terms of compensation.

On the issue of wage negotiation Ramesar said his members felt betrayed since the Defence Force settled its negotiations “like a thief in the night.” Secretary of the association Insp Michael Seales said six months have passed since it sent its proposals to the Chief Personnel Officer and have not received any feedback. Ramesar said unless the compensation issues were dealt with then his members would not be making themselves available for the formation of the Child Protection Unit, which was to be established to deal with sexual crimes against minors. He added that the current proposal for salary, which he did not divulge, covered compensation for the new proposed unit.